This IS a Love Story ~Kore wa Koi no Hanashi~

It says ~A Love Story between a 10 years old girl and a 31 years old man.~

After recently moving into his grandmother's house in the countryside, Shinichi is bored with everything despite his success as a novelist. That is, until one day, when a young girl with a stray cat appears at his doorstep. A girl with a very tragic look in her eyes...

I remember when I first found this manga, my reaction was like 'OMG Gross' but I was curious as to how the Mangaka could execute such a story so that it was allowed to be published in a Shoujo manga magazine, Aria. Aria, best known for No.6 which had an anime last year, is aimed at an older female audience of the ages16-22 which does give it some leeway. 

I am very glad I was curious enough to check it out as the scanlations are 16 chapters in atm and I am quite hooked.

Although the title declares it a Love Story, it has yet to cross such waters. So far it has been a very heart-warming story of finding companionship and a place to belong in an unlikely place, and a becoming of age story for a girl who has her first love/crush with an older man.

The man, our main guy Shinichi, does not welcome it nor encourage it, he sees himself as a guardian to the lonely girl, as she reminds him of his younger forsaken self. However her true feelings and childish honesty slowly brings him out of his lonely shut-in writer ways. 

The girl, Haruka, is a distant child and has a tragic past involving her parents, both still alive. She finds a cat in the man's yard and wishes to care for it, bringing her into Shinichi's life, and slowly starts to care for him too as he doesn't do much for himself. 

Other characters are involved too. 

A boy from school with a crush on her. A girl with a crush on the boy. Shinichi's editor/friend from highschool and another former-classmate friend.   

Now if you have an open mind and check this out I doubt you will regret it. The art is simply amazing and the character expressions tell half the story. It falls under Shoujo, Drama, Romance, and Slice of Life. ~See, no lolicon~

Two rather different people, a child and a grown man, find support in each other in a subtle beautiful manner, and so far its anything BUT gross. Its pure in it essence and explores very realistic emotions. The story is only beginning to unfold so who knows to what depth it will delve into.  

Hope you check it out and Happy reading!

xoxo